Godless
It seems lonely, I would be
I begged, I plead
But this is all that I have gotten
"Dey killed 'em…" Mush's voice was quiet, barely over a whisper. Jack had to lean closer just to interpret the words. "Jus' like dat… Widout a second's glance." Innocent brown eyes - wide and shining unnaturally bright - trained on the older boy's face. "'Ee's… gone…" He bowed his head silently, his whole body shaking with restrained emotion. Jack began to look away, embarrassed by his friend's break down. Then he noticed what Mush held, outstretched and gripped carefully with two hands. He unwrapped Mush's fingers away from the object and took it, speechless. Swiping at his own eyes with his left forearm, he slid a hand down the light colored wood, worn smooth with use. With each touch brought flashes of a laughing face, mocking eyes and a joy filled smile. With each thought brought another tear, with each tear a thought.
The door opened and hit against the wall with a crash, jolting Jack out of his stupor and the stick out of his hands. The wood clattered to the floor, the noise accusing him whilst he stumbled to pick it up. Across the room Specs and Pie-eater entered, their cheeks rosy and lips a faint purple from the bitter autumn wind. Pie-eater halted a few steps in, but Specs advanced immediately, striding forward to seize the article from Jack's disbelieving hands. Specs' numb fingers wrapped around the stick and he brought it to his chest, eyes heavy with sadness. A clear voice cut through the room as Pie-eater spoke softly.
"We was jus' comin' to tell youse," he said, looking at the floor and crumpling his hat in his hands. Mush's voice rasped out next.
"'is real. I keeps tellin' myself 'is real. But still I keeps hopin'… Hopin' it's him comin' through dat door."
Jack sat down heavily on the nearest bunk. None trusted their voice enough to speak. He opened his mouth a few times, finally decided what question to ask first.
"'Ow did… 'Ow did 'e die? Who killed 'em?" the words fell out of his mouth broken and awkward. Jack didn't know if he had spoken or not. He felt detached from the world, a soul without a body to hide in. "Where is 'e? I'll… I'll bash 'is 'ead in, I will!"
"No one knows where 'e lives," Dutchy came forward now, slowly leaving the safety of the shadows. "'E's been seen all ovah. Harlem. Midtown. Queens… Manhattan. But 'e isn't too popular. 'E's got lots of enemies."
"Who? Who killed 'em?" Jack's voice was raising both in volume and pitch as he grabbed Specs' shoulders. Specs shrugged him off and backed away, next to Pie-eater again. Mush's voice rose from the stillness, quieter than ever.
"Cancer," he said. "'Twas Cancer."
Hey I said you're godless
Hey and you're a soul-less friend
Hey I said you're heartless
And I swear
I swear
Godless
Godless
You're godless